Plants That Love Water

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Plants That Love Water

Water-loving plants allow you to create bog gardens and water features, and they help you fill in a swampy area of landscape with some beautiful foliage and flowers. Plants that love water must not dry out, and if there is a period of lower rainfall additional waterings may be needed. Including the native plants of Sarracenia spp., there are many other flowers that love to be in watery locations.

Yellow Flag

Yellow flag, or Iris pseudocorus, is part of the Iridaceae, or iris, family. It is a perennial that is both fast growing and easy to grow. There are 3 to 5 foot leaves and 3 to 4 inch yellow flowers. It prefers full sun and either very wet soil or to be in standing water (like bogs), and can be propagated via late summer division or fall seeding.

Papyrus

Papyrus, or Cyperus papyrus, is part of the Cyperaceae, or sedge, family. It is a perennial and is fast growing. It can reach 10 feet with 5- to 12-inch spikes, and a small flower adorns the top of each spike. It prefers shallow water or very wet soils, sun or partial shade, and can be propagated via clump division. It is a big plant but an interesting one in its paper-making history.

Louisiana Iris

Louisiana iris, or iris Louisiana hybrids, is part of the Iridaceae, or iris, family. It is a perennial that grows to various heights and colors depending on the specific hybrid and cultivar that you purchase. They prefer shade or sun locations, moist soil or standing water, and can be propagated easily via division.

Golden Club

Golden club, or Orontium aquaticum, is part of the Araceae, or arum, family. It is a perennial plant that has 6- to 10-inch-long leaves and 18-inch leaf stems. Yellow flowers are 4 inches long. There are blue-green berries in the summer. Golden club prefers full sun or partial shade with standing water or saturated soil. Propagate via rhizome division in the spring.

Palm Grass

Palm grass, or Setaria palmifolia, is part of the Poaceae/Gramineae, or grass, family. It is a fast-growing plant, easy to grow, evergreen, and good for containers or shady spots. It has accordion-looking leaves 1 to 3 feet long with the clump getting 8 to 10 feet tall. Palm grass prefers full sun or partial shade, moist soils, and can be propagated via seed or by division.

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Tina Samuels has been a full-time freelance writer for more than 10 years, concentrating on health and gardening topics, and a writer for 20 years. She has written for "Arthritis Today," "Alabama Living," and "Mature Years," as well as online content. She has one book, “A Georgia Native Plant Guide,” offered through Mercer University; others are in development.